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JCPenney to close Massapequa store, eliminating 117 jobs

The J.C. Penney Co. said Friday it will close its Massapequa store in June eliminating 117 employees at the store in Westfield Sunrise mall. This closing is a part of a previously announced plan to close 138 stores nationwide. (Credit: Newsday / Raychel Brightman)

J.C. Penney Co. said Friday it will close its Massapequa store in June, as part of a previously announced plan to close 138 stores nationwide.

Separately, a regulatory notice posted on the state Labor Department’s website on Friday said 117 employees at the Westfield Sunrise Mall store would be affected by the closing on June 18. The store is one of five JCPenney has on Long Island.

JCPenney said the nationwide closings would affect about 5,000 employees.

Decisions about which stores to close were based on store performance, demographics and the chain’s “growth strategies,” a company spokesman said Friday.

In February, the Plano, Texas-based retailer said it would close 130 to 140 stores to shore up its business. On Friday it listed the affected locations.

JCPenney is trying to adjust to changing shopping patterns, and is joining other chains like Macy’s in closing stores. Consumers are shifting their spending away from clothing and toward experiences like beauty treatments, or toward furnishing their homes. When they do pick up clothing, it’s more often at off-price stores or online, as Amazon moves into apparel.

Penney has also been recovering from a catastrophic reinvention plan under former CEO Ron Johnson that sent sales and profits falling in 2012 and 2013. Business stabilized under Mike Ullman, who took the helm in 2013 after Johnson was pushed out. Under Marvin Ellison, who has been CEO since 2015, Penney is looking for new ways to increase sales while improving its e-commerce.